Massachusetts

MA advocate groups are calling legislators to ensure equal access to menstrual products

Published

2 years ago

April 29, 2024

MA advocate groups are calling legislators to ensure equal access to menstrual products

Ruihan Yang
| Boston University Statehouse Program

When women and girls don’t have access to menstrual products, they have to “just bleed and pray” that their pants will hold. Many in Massachusetts are forced to use toilet paper as a substitute for period products.

“I think it’s a matter of dignity and allowing menstruators to have the option to not have to free bleed or just giving them that bodily autonomy of how they want to deal with their periods,” said Olivia Toscano, the community organizing co-op of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Organization for Women.

Advocacy groups in Massachusetts such as MassNOW are calling on House lawmakers to pass the I AM bill, to ensure access to free menstrual products, without stigma, to all women and girls in all public schools, homeless shelters, prisons, and county jails.

“It’s about making sure that these products which are part of health care, which a part of our life, are available,” said Sen. Robyn Kennedy, D-Worcester, one of the sponsors of the bill.” “It’s a basic need that all menstruating individuals have. And it’s about making sure that those products for that care are available to all individuals to help break down the disparities.”

How much spent on feminine hygiene products?

The average woman spends about $20 on feminine hygiene products per cycle, adding up to about $18,000 over a lifetime, according to estimates from the National Organization of Women.

“It costs a lot to buy these products,” said Toscano. “There are menstruators out there who have to choose between food, rent, and menstrual products. That’s not a choice that should have to be made. I think we need to stop looking at it as a luxury; it’s a necessity.”

In October, the Senate passed the I AM bill, originally introduced in 2019, but it has not yet been passed in the House.

Kate Barker Swindell, Service & Operations Manager of PERIOD. said Massachusetts has done some work, but it could do better.

The Alliance for Period Supplies reports that Massachusetts is considering nine bills related to menstrual access, while New Jersey leads with a total of 24 bills.

Rep. Natalie Higgins, D-Leominster, said the bill is “critical” because menstrual products are essential, but they are too expensive for many, especially those in schools, prisons, and shelters.

“I think I AM Bill really focuses on some of the places where institutionally there can be access issues. So starting with our schools, starting with our shelters, and starting with our jails and prisons, makes a lot of sense,” she said.

Kyla Speizer, the community organizer of MassNOW, said the measure is the first in the country to call for providing free menstrual products for all three places: schools, shelters and jails.

“Those three places are some of the places that period poverty is shown the most, so they are some of the most vulnerable populations,” she said.

Lack of education and awareness

“I’ve been working with public schools, libraries, and just connecting with either the head of the department to kind of see what is the need, who actually needs these products and supplying these products,” said Magdelene Barjolo, the Worcester regional organizer of MassNOW. When people donate to the needy, they think first of food and clothing, she said.

“Menstrual products are not a part of the conversation,” she said

PERIOD’s Swindell said through years of advocacy the conversations and the attention around the problem is “growing exponentially,” but the stigma is still a real thing.

“I will say that’s across all ages, all races, all cultures, all religions. It’s like universal,” she said.

As of right now, Barjolo said she hasn’t seen any schools implement the concept of period poverty within their curriculum. “They kind of steer away from it,” she said.

Even when menstrual products are provided in some places, the stigma creates “an extra barrier” for people who need them, Speizer said

“They’re afraid to ask for a menstrual product or they’re afraid to take a day off of work when they are having really bad cramps. Maybe they have a mental disorder and they can’t make it to work that day, or whatever it is,” she said. “The stigma is something that prevents a lot of folks from maybe achieving their goals.”

Grassroots organizing looks to meet interim needs

In December, Worcester City Manager Eric Batista said he was going to implement the first phase of providing free menstrual products within public spaces in the city early this year.

Barjolo said before anything happens, grassroots organizers will provide communities and public spaces with products.

“A lot of people have said something of what their initiatives are going to do in terms of menstrual health,” she said. “We’re actually doing the work aside from waiting for elected officials to do what they can do.”

Ali Civilikas, vice president of Menstrual Equity Alliance, a Clark University-affiliated student-led club, said the Alliance installed nine dispensers for menstrual products in school two years ago, and hand-fill those dispensers once a month.

“We just keep pads and tampons on us usually, and whoever has time to go around and fill them,” she said.

In an email, Lesa McWalters, social justice chair of First Unitarian Church of Worcester, said parishioners have set up a subscription to purchase pads each month (at $300 per month) and distribute them to sheltered women.

“There are approximately 100 women and teens in that shelter, and since SNAP benefits do not cover feminine products we have begun a program called Sister-to-Sister Cycle Connection at our church,” she wrote in the email. “This is a very basic need, and legislation should change the qualification of pads from a “luxury item” to a basic human right to have access to free feminine products as part of the SNAP benefits.”

Consistent supply can be an issue

Many school districts, lockups and shelters already provide free menstrual products, but consistently providing them can be challenging, Speizer said.

“Many of them do offer it for free or have procedures in place to offer it, but maybe they don’t have the stable resources to be consistently offering it,” she said.

As a student-led club, Menstrual Equity Alliance has struggled working with school administration and getting it to help fund clean menstrual products on campus, Civilikas said.

“I don’t think they’ve ever provided free menstrual products like we are right now.” she said.

According to the Alliance for Period Supplies, in the past three years, nine states passed laws to require and fund schools to provide period products. That does not include Massachusetts.

Kennedy said the bill would make sure that they’re required to be provided and that there’s funding available.

“This bill, and the additional work we need to do is really making sure that those products are available holistically and automatically for all individuals to be able to access,” she said.

Only a few people to help

Not having enough labor can also create an issue for grassroots or student-led organizations that depend on members to keep doing the work.

“It can be like logistically very difficult to deal with so much product and so much distribution that needs to happen with only a few people who have the ability to do this kind of thing full time,” Toscano said. “With the state stepping in, it’ll fix those problems.”

This is the third session since the I AM bill was first introduced, and it’s approaching the last few months of the second year of this legislative session. Speizer said the biggest hurdle is not lack of support, but making the bill a top priority for legislators.

“This is a bipartisan bill that everyone supports for the most part, but the issue is just making sure that it’s the number one priority for enough legislators that it gets passed quickly,” she said.

Higgins said she doesn’t have a projected timeline for the bill, but hopes the measure gets through the House and onto the governor’s desk.

“We’re getting so close to the end of the session that we’re not maybe as confident as we were six months ago. But we’re really proud of how far it’s come this session and proud of the work that has been done by everyone involved,” Speizer said. “At this point, it’s just did our efforts make as much of a difference as we wanted to or will we be trying again next year? It’s really hard to know.”

The Cape Cod Times is providing this coverage for free as a public service. Please take a moment to support local journalism by subscribing.

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Massachusetts

Eight takeaways from Friday’s high school playoffs action, including four 1,000-point scorers – The Boston Globe

Published

2 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Eight takeaways from Friday’s high school playoffs action, including four 1,000-point scorers – The Boston Globe

Find the full scoreboard here, along with everything we wrote Friday night:

Not seeing your team’s highlights in Takeaways? Here are all the ways to submit scores and stats to Globe Schools via phone, email, and social media.

▪ Cathedral senior Keyona Raines scored 15 points, including the 1,000th of her career, as the No. 5 Panthers handled No. 28 Hudson, 60-43, in the first round of the Division 4 girls’ basketball tournament.

▪ Sutton junior captain Ava Carroll netted her 1,000th career point during a 29-point effort in a 49-31 Division 4 first-round win over Easthampton.

FINAL: Sutton 49, Easthampton 31
Junior captain Ava Carroll records a game-high 22 points (including her 1,000th career point) as Sutton secured a Division 4 MIAA tournament Round of 32 win.
Business is Boomin’ for the Suzies. pic.twitter.com/vjRnzu2eLA
— Tommy Cassell (@tommycassell44) February 28, 2026
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▪ With a layup in the waning seconds of the first half, Anna Freeman became the 10th Medway player, and first since Riley Childs in 2018, to score 1,000 career points. She finished the 55-24 Division 3 first-round win over St. Paul with 17. Her father, Matt Freeman, scored 1,000 points at Bishop Feehan.

▪ Burlington boys’ basketball senior Matty Gray reached 1,000 career points during a 25-point performance in a 95-58 Division 2 first-round rout of Holliston. He reached the mark on a first-quarter layup.

Now for Matty Gray! Scores his 1000th point and no surprise on a steal! Just does it all. Such a special player and person. Humble, hard-working, kind, and tough. Lucky to coach him! A kid who certainly could have left, but chose to put his town across his chest and he’s…🧵 pic.twitter.com/UXFsEuZH6R
— BurlingtonBasketball (@Burlingtonhoop) February 28, 2026

▪ Falmouth boys’ hockey senior Kody Pokraka rode two assists to 100 career points during a 5-4 Division 2 first-round win over Plymouth South.

It was a chalky day, with only one significant upset: No. 22 Greater Lawrence girls’ basketball easily handling No. 11 Hamilton-Wenham, 65-45, in the Division 4 first round thanks to 13 3-pointers as a team and a combined 47 points from Serenity West (24) and Maliah Caban (23).

The only other lower seeds to win were No. 18 Marshfield boys’ basketball, which took out No. 15 Cambridge, 66-63, in overtime in the Division 1 first round, and No. 34 Arlington Catholic boys’ basketball, which survived No. 31 Duxbury, 64-60, in Division 2 preliminary-round action.

The finish of the night came in No. 17 South Hadley’s 61-60 win over No. 16 Madison Park. Trailing 60-59 and inbounding with 10.3 seconds left, the Tigers got an off-balance 3-pointer, but junior Noah Hambley crashed the boards and in one fell swoop secured the rebound and put it back up off the glass for the winning bucket as time expired in a boys’ basketball Division 4 first-round matchup.

The Oliver Ames boys got four free throws from Jacob Lok in the final 26 seconds to squeak past Canton, 45-42, in the first round of the Division 2 bracket. The Acton-Boxborough girls also needed overtime to complete a 53-49 Division 1 first-round triumph over Brookline.

The only overtime hockey game of the night saw the Diman boys net an equalizer in the final minute of regulation before Marlborough’s Ethan Guo supplied the heroics just 2:08 into the extra frame, propelling the No. 8 Panthers into the Division 3 second round with a 6-5 victory. Anthony Tramontozzi and Chace Lozano each scored twice for Marlborough

Caroline Arruda, Marshfield — The sophomore poured in 32 points to push the Rams to a 68-63 preliminary-round win over Westborough.

Gaby Bassett, Nauset/Monomoy — The senior capped her hat trick with the winning goal in a 4-3 Division 2 opening-round win over Burlington.

Brody Bumila and Jake Webster, Bishop Feehan — The seniors took control of an 85-67 Division 1 first-round victory, with Bumila providing 32 points and 14 rebounds and Webster going for 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Avery Gamble, Oliver Ames — The senior’s 3-point shot wasn’t falling, but she didn’t let that get in the way of a 34-point performance, 2 off her career best, during a 59-50 Division 2 first-round win over Bedford.

Eileen Lowther, Hingham — The junior controlled the glass, pulling down 15 rebounds and blocking six shots to go with 12 points in a 54-43 Division 2 first-round win.

Mollie Mullen, Bishop Feehan — The senior from Dighton delivered 21 points, 9 steals, and 5 assists as the No. 2 Shamrocks rolled to a 71-30 Division 1 first-round victory over Peabody.

Maura Quirk, Acton-Boxborough — The sophomore was cleaning the glass to the tune of 17 rebounds while adding 13 points in a 53-49 overtime win in the first round of the Division 1 bracket.

Senior Sophia O’Donnell made history, becoming the first St. Mary’s athlete to sign to become a Division 1 rower. O’Donnell will row for Merrimack.

Milton Academy graduate Cormac Ryan signed a two-way NBA contract with the Bucks on Thursday, making him the fourth former member of the Middlesex Magic AAU program currently in the NBA, along with The Pistons’ Duncan Robinson, Hornets’ Pat Connaughton, and Knicks’ Tyler Kolek.

Ryan, who hails from New York, was a three-time All-NEPSAC selection at Milton Academy before playing at Stanford, Notre Dame, and North Carolina. He spent the last two seasons in the G League with the Oklahoma City Blue and Wisconsin Herd. He played with the Thunder’s Summer League team in 2024.

Quinnipiac junior Anna Foley, a 6-foot-3-inch Andover graduate, was celebrated for reaching 1,000 points during a ceremony Friday. She passed the mark on Feb. 12 in a 62-40 victory over Siena. A two-time All-MAAC second team selection, she’s averaging 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

8. Basketball leaderboard

Avery Gamble, Oliver Ames, 34

Caroline Arruda, Marshfield, 32

Brody Bumila, Bishop Feehan, 32

Weston Bunnell, Stoneham, 29

Joe Baraky, Duxbury, 28

Zach Georges, Pioneer Charter I, 27

Kelsi Lanza, Silver Lake, 27

Josh Roux, Andover, 26

Ava Bailey, Newburyport, 25

Allie Danis, Newton North, 25

Angie Djoko, Danvers, 25

Noah Feldman, Marshfield, 25

Matty Gray, Burlington, 25

Jackson Hines, Arlington Catholic, 25

Connor Houle, Attleboro, 25

Katelyn Troilo, Mansfield, 25

Alex Ste. Marie, Manchester Essex, 24

Serenity West, Greater Lawrence, 24

Noah Bayersdorfer, Winthrop, 23

Maliah Caban, Greater Lawrence, 23

Josh Jenkins, Barnstable, 23

Reagan Maniscalco, Tewksbury, 23

Colin Trimble, Foxborough, 23

Eva Andrews, Needham, 22

Alaysia Drummonds, Foxborough, 22

Trevor Manning, Ipswich, 22

Gia Porazzo, Foxborough, 22

Sarah Powers, Wayland, 22

Ryan Tullish, Middleborough, 22

Chase Gara, Sutton, 21

Mollie Mullen, Bishop Feehan, 21

LaDainian Rodrigues, Attleboro, 21

Rex Satter, Ipswich, 21

Jake Webster, Bishop Feehan, 21

Aboubakar Nimaka, Malden Catholic, 20

Dylan Raffle, Milton, 20

Maeve Horsman, Oliver Ames, 18

Eva Andrews, Needham, 17

Maura Quirk, Acton-Boxborough, 17

Tony Dean, Stoneham, 15

Eileen Lowther, Hingham, 15

Brody Bumila, Bishop Feehan, 14

Angie Djoko, Danvers, 12

Camden Strandberg, Bridgewater-Raynham, 11

Avery Teixeira, Bishop Feehan, 11

Sophie Gallivan, North Reading, 10

Shannon LaMorticelli, Bishop Feehan, 10

Aboubakar Nimaka, Malden Catholic, 10

Zarah Ochi, Burlington, 10

Ashley Varnum, Bridgewater-Raynham, 10

Lila Polansky, Bridgewater-Raynham, 8

Duke Cherry, Malden Catholic, 7

Sophie Gallivan, North Reading, 7

Erin Reilly, Burlington, 7

Jake Webster, Bishop Feehan, 7

Caroline Connors, Millis, 6

Egan Gill, Bishop Feehan, 6

Rex Satter, Ipswich, 6

Marcus Tayag, Pioneer Charter I, 6

Rayana Laurent, Pingree, 5

Mollie Mullen, Bishop Feehan, 9

Reagan Maniscalco, Tewksbury, 6

Ella O’Keefe, Oliver Ames, 5

Dylan Raffle, Milton, 4

Ava Sicari, Burlington, 4

Rex Satter, Ipswich, 3

Eileen Lowther, Hingham, 6

Maeve Horsman, Oliver Ames, 5

Zarah Ochi, Burlington, 4

Gaby Bassett, Nauset/Monomoy, 3

Griff Callahan, Martha’s Vineyard, 2

Max Cronen, Monomoy/Mashpee, 2

Addy Harrington, Duxbury, 2

Jaxon Hoey, Norwell, 2

Chace Lozano, Marlborough, 2

Mackenna Metell, Martha’s Vineyard, 2

Christos Rogaris, Dover-Sherborn/Weston, 2

Mark Trahon, Norwood, 2

Anthony Tramontozzi, Marlborough, 2

Bryce Campanale, Norwell, 3

Maeve Turner, Falmouth, 3

Violet Cox, Falmouth, 2

Ryan Heidt, Martha’s Vineyard, 2

Cam Long, Norwell, 2

Kody Pokraka, Falmouth, 2

Bailen Darack, Martha’s Vineyard, 22

Sammie Precourt, Dennis-Yarmouth, 16

Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.

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Massachusetts

State health officials announce two confirmed cases of measles in Massachusetts – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

Published

14 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

State health officials announce two confirmed cases of measles in Massachusetts – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

BOSTON (WHDH) – State public health officials have announced two confirmed cases of measles in Massachusetts this year.

The first case came from a school-aged resident who was exposed and diagnoses while out of state. This person has remained out of state during the infectious period.

The second case was diagnosed by an adult in Greater Boston. Officials say this person had recently returned from international travel with an uncertain vaccination history.

This person visited several locations. Both local and state health officials are working with the locations to identify and notify those who were potentially exposed.

“Our first two measles cases in 2026 demonstrate the impact that the measles outbreaks, nationally and internationally, can have here at home. Fortunately, thanks to high vaccination rates, the risk to most Massachusetts residents remains low,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “Measles is the most contagious respiratory virus and can cause life-threatening illness. These cases are a reminder of the need for health care providers and local health departments to remain vigilant for cases so that appropriate public health measures can be rapidly employed to prevent spread in the state. This is also a reminder that getting vaccinated is the best way for people to protect themselves from this disease.”

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Massachusetts

Fire hydrants ‘buried’ in snow as crews respond to Taunton house explosion

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Fire hydrants ‘buried’ in snow as crews respond to Taunton house explosion

Several Cape Cod and South Coast communities in Massachusetts are still digging out three days after a historic blizzard buried neighborhoods in several feet of snow, complicating emergency response efforts and prompting additional state support.

Cities and towns including Brockton, Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River received outside assistance Thursday as crews continued to plow streets and clear critical infrastructure. While road conditions have improved in many areas, officials said buried fire hydrants remain a serious concern.

NBC10 Boston obtained Taunton police body camera footage that captured first responders scrambling to locate a hydrant during a house fire on Plain Street.

“Looking for a hydrant now,” one first responder can be heard saying. “They’re all buried.”

At one point, an officer asked a bystanders for help.

A home was burned to the ground after an explosion that left two people injured.

Officials said the home exploded after a gas leak Wednesday, leaving a family of three displaced.

The mother and daughter were treated for serious burns.

William Shivers, who helped firefighters dig out a hydrant, described the urgency.

“We took the shovels, and we were just banging into the snow, looking for a fire hydrant,” he said.

After locating a hydrant using a map on his phone, Shivers and firefighters were able to clear it, but he said the delay could have been worse.

Two people are in the hospital and neighbors are worried about safety after an explosion and fire reduced a house to rubble.

“Imagine how many more how many more minutes that would have been wasted, you know, shoveling, just going through the snow,” said Shivers.

The case underscores the broader challenges facing first responders across the region following Monday’s storm.

Firefighters in Watertown also experienced delays accessing hydrants during a fire on Tuesday.

Snow and ice presented challenges as firefighters battled flames Tuesday.

Gov. Maura Healey toured parts of the South Coast on Thursday and said the region was hit especially hard.

“This whole region, I think, was ground zero,” she said.

Healey said the state will continue deploying resources to affected communities.

“We won’t take our foot off the gas at all,” she said.

The governor activated the Massachusetts National Guard. Troops assisted with snow removal in Plymouth, conducted wellness checks in Duxbury and provided medical and logistical support in Fall River.

Matt Medeiros of Fall River was praised by the governor and other officials for developing an app that allows residents to report unplowed streets.

“It’s just hoping to get those resources in and everyone just staying out of the way of trucks and equipment,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mansfield implemented a parking ban at 8 p.m. Thursday to allow plows to clear roads more efficiently.

Matthew Lawlor of WalkUp Roslindale, a nonprofit advocating for clean and safe streets, emphasized that residents also play a role in public safety.

“The fire hydrant piece of it’s essential,” he noted.

Lawlor urged neighbors to clear hydrants near their homes before an emergency strikes, while also calling on elected officials to provide some incentives.

“To the extent that people can be encouraged to dig those hydrants out as soon as they can, so that it’s not waiting until something happens,” he said.

State officials said the blizzard slowed plowing operations, contributing to the lag in sending additional help to some communities. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said it hopes to deploy its 200 pieces of equipment to impacted areas within the next 24 to 48 hours.

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